February 17, 2014

After a rather rough 2013 summer season, Lake Powhatan is starting off the new year with some good news.

The popular campground and swimming area in the Bent Creek section of Pisgah National Forest just south of Asheville will open a month early, on March 1, said said Judy Doyle, director of campground for Cradle of Forestry in American Interpretive Association, which manages the lake and campground.

Lake Powhatan will open a month early.

Two camping loops – Big John and Lakeside – will be open, with some 40 sites. There are 90 total sites in the campground.

Lakeside will open with full hook-ups – electric, water and sewer. The full hook-ups were installed in late fall, Doyle said, but their arrival got lost in the shuffle with the lake being closed for months for high bacteria levels, and the government shutdown in October.

“We want to start the year with some light, sunny news,” Doyle said. “To have full hook-ups is very unusual for a Forest Service campground. Now that we have them, we want to look at extending the shoulder season to help the local economy.”

The swim beach at Lake Powhatan was closed last July 2 due to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria.

The lake is still open for fishing, as well as camping, picnicking and hiking in the lake area.

Closures at that time of year for a few days is typical, she said last summer. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

The Asheville area had a record amount of rainfall in July, according to the National Weather Service, with a record 13.69 inches of rain recorded at Asheville Regional Airport in July. This is more than 9 inches above normal.

The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April to the end of October.

The lake opened after a couple of weeks, but then closed to swimming again July 27 and was closed for the rest of the season to swimming, although camping and hiking and biking in the area remained open to visitors.

Doyle said on Monday that although it will be too chilly for swimming on March 1, the bacteria levels are now at a safe level for swimming.

Camp sites with full hookups are $31, $22 with the federal pass discount, and $22 for the regular sites, which come with a picnic table and fire ring. The restrooms will also be open March 1, with showers, and are heated.

January 28, 2014

It seems like a bizarre thing to remind people about, but as they say, common sense isn’t all that common, so thanks to the Forest Service for issuing this reminder today:

Visitors to the Pisgah National Forest are highly discouraged from walking on ice formed along area lakes and rivers. The warning comes following reports of people walking on ice formed on Lake Powhatan outside of Asheville.

Walking on ice is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Visitors who walk on ice run the risk of falling through the ice and drowning or suffering hypothermia, the rapid lowering of the body’s temperature.

That’s the Forest Service warning. Here’s mine:

Even the snow is falling today in Asheville, it was well above freezing yesterday, which means all that lake ice warmed up and is quite viscous beneath what appears to be a very fragile, thin icy surface. Do you really want to fall through? Remember the lake was closed for most of the summer because harmfully high bacteria levels.

More common sense in the forest would tell you to heed weather forecasts before heading out on backpacking or even day hikes, without proper clothing, gear and training. Snow falls heavier and can make you quickly disoriented in the higher elevations, and not having the proper layered, wind-and water-proof clothing can leave you susceptible to hypothermia, frostbite, and yes, even death.

August 29, 2013

You’ll have to make your last summer swim plans somewhere other than Lake Powhatan this weekend.

The lake will remain closed through the Labor Day weekend, and most likely through mid-September due to high fecal coliform counts.

No swimming allowed at Lake Powhatan.

“The bacteria counts have dropped to almost nothing, but we still can’t open, which kills us because the weather has been so nice,” said Judy Doyle, director of campground for Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association, which manages the lake and campground.

“The good news is that the counts are dropping, but because residual has been too high, I’m estimating it to be middle of September before we open.

The last water quality test taken on Monday showed a fecal coliform count of 50, but previous counts had been over 1,000, and tests need to average out to a safe count of 200, Doyle said.

The swim beach at Lake Powhatan has been closed since July 27, when the counts first started to spike.

The lake is part of the popular recreation area in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest, a short drive south of Asheville.

The lake is still open for fishing, as well as camping, picnicking and hiking in the lake area.

Water quality testing has been done by a private lab every couple of days since then, and will continue once a week until the averages are safe for swimming.

Closures at this time of year for a few days is typical, Doyle said. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

The Asheville area had a record amount of rainfall in July, according to the National Weather Service, with a record 13.69 inches of rain recorded at Asheville Regional Airport in July. This is more than 9 inches above normal.

The lake, which is about 8-10 acres, received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April to the end of October.

For more information:

Lake Powhatan is located on Bent Creek Ranch Road in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. For more information, call the campground office at 828-667-0391.

The fecal coliform count has been up and down, going as far down as 9 on Tuesday, Doyle said, but the count needs to remain at a stable average of 200 before the lake can reopen.

The lake has been closed to swimming since July 27. The lake is still open to fishing, camping, hiking and picnicking.

Closures at this time of year for a few days is typical, Doyle said. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

The Asheville area had a record amount of rainfall this summer, according to the National Weather Service, with a record 13.69 inches of rain in July alone recorded at Asheville Regional Airport. This is more than 9 inches above normal.

The July closing was the first time this year the lake has been closed because of a high fecal coliform count, Doyle said. The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April to the end of October.

Lake Powhatan is located on Bent Creek Ranch Road in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. For more information, call the campground office at 828-667-0391.

August 13, 2013

The latest bacteria tests taken at Lake Powhatan in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of Asheville came back with great results today, Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The fecal coliform count was 9 today. While it was well below the safe standard of 200, lake director Judy Doyle said another test needs to be taken tomorrow – that’s Wednesday, Aug. 14 – before the lake can be open for swimming again.

“Because the previous tests were so high, we need to let them average out,” Doyle said. “We’ll take another one tomorrow. If the test averages out, then we will be able to open to by the weekend. It’s washing through, the geese have gone – this is what we’ve been expecting.”

The lake, a few miles south of Asheville, has been closed to swimming since July 27 because fecal coliform counts have been as high as 1,300. The lake is still open to fishing, camping, hiking and picnicking.

Closures at this time of year for a few days is typical, she said. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

The Asheville area had a record amount of rainfall in July, according to the National Weather Service, with a record 13.69 inches of rain recorded at Asheville Regional Airport in July. This is more than 9 inches above normal.

The July closing was the first time this year the lake has been closed because of a high fecal coliform count, Doyle said. The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April to the end of October.

Lake Powhatan is located on Bent Creek Ranch Road in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. For more information, call the campground office at 667-0391.

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August 9, 2013

The swim beach at Lake Powhatan will remain closed through the weekend and at least through next Wednesday because of continuing high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, according to the recreation area’s director.

The lake is part of the popular recreation area in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest, a short drive south of Asheville.

The lake was first closed this season on July 27, due to higher than normal bacteria count, said Judy Doyle, director of campground for Cradle of Forestry in American Interpretive Association, which manages the lake and campground.

The lake is still open for fishing, as well as camping, picnicking and hiking in the lake area.

Water quality tests that came back today, Friday, Aug. 9, showed the fecal coliform count at the swim beach at 1,300 and at the fishing pier at 900, Doyle said. The safe standard is 200.

“The numbers have been dropping, but not still not enough to reopen the lake to swimming,” Doyle said. “We’ll test again on Wednesday or Thursday. The beach will be closed at least until then.”

Closures at this time of year for a few days is typical, she said. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

The Asheville area had a record amount of rainfall in July, according to the National Weather Service, with a record 13.69 inches of rain recorded at Asheville Regional Airport in July. This is more than 9 inches above normal.

The July closing was the first time this year the lake has been closed because of a high fecal coliform count, Doyle said. The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April to the end of October.

August 6, 2013

The Lake Powhatan swim beach is closed again today, the 11th day in a row.

The lake is part of the popular recreation area in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest, south of Asheville.

The lake was closed Saturday, July 27, due to higher than normal bacteria count, said Judy Doyle, director of campground for Cradle of Forestry in American Interpretive Association, which manages the lake and campground. The lake is still open for fishing, as well as camping, picnicking and hiking.

Water quality was tested at the lake Monday, Doyle said.

“The numbers are dropping but not dropping enough to reopen,” Doyle said. “We will take another test on Thursday to see if we can reopen by the weekend.”

Doyle said this is the first time this year the lake has been closed because of a high fecal coliform count. The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April 1 to the end of October.

The last time the lake was closed to swimming for this long was in August 2010, when there was an outbreak of the cryptosporidium parasite. At the time, it was closed for just more than two weeks.

She said closures at this time of year for a few days is typical. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

“Unfortunately it’s the typical thing that happens in summer in mountain lakes. It could be from children swimming, from geese, deer, even some bear. We’re all downstream from something.”

Day use other than swimming, including fishing, is still allowed at the lake.

The lake is located on Bent Creek Ranch Road in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. For more information, call the campground office at 828-667-0391.

August 5, 2013

The swim beach at Lake Powhatan, the popular recreation area in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest south of Asheville, is closed again today, Monday, Aug. 5, said the recreation area’s director.

Lake Powhatan, when it was open for swimming

The lake was closed Saturday, July 27, due to higher than normal bacteria count, said Judy Doyle, director of campground for Cradle of Forestry in American Interpretive Association, which manages the lake and campground. The lake is still open for fishing, as well as camping and picnicking.

This is Day 10 of the lake closure. Doyle said water quality tests taken in the lake showed the bacteria level still too high for humans to get in the water and possibly ingest the bacteria.

“We took another sample this morning, (Monday) will have results at 9 a.m. tomorrow,” she said.

Doyle said this is the first time this year the lake has been closed because of a high fecal coliform count. The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April 1 to the end of October.

She said closures at this time of year for a few days is typical. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

“Unfortunately it’s the typical thing that happens in summer in mountain lakes. It could be from children swimming, from geese, deer, even some bear. We’re all downstream from something.”

People, adults as well as children who have no control, using the lake as a bathroom, might also be a contributor to the high bacteria levels in the lake.

Day use other than swimming, including fishing, is still allowed at the lake.

The lake is open April through October. It is located on Bent Creek Ranch Road in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. For more information, call the campground office at 828-667-0391.

August 2, 2013

The swim beach at Lake Powhatan, the popular recreation area in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest south of Asheville, is closed again today, Friday, Aug. 2.

Fishing is still open at Lake Powhatan

The lake has been closed since last Saturday, July 27, due to higher than normal bacteria count, said Judy Doyle, director of campground for Cradle of Forestry in American Interpretive Association, which manages the lake and campground. The lake is still open for fishing, as well as for camping, picnicking and hiking.

Water quality was tested at the lake on Monday, Wednesday and another time today, Friday, at about 9 a.m., Doyle said.

“While the numbers have dropped, they didn’t drop enough for us to reopen the lake today,” Doyle said.

She said test results taken this morning should come back tomorrow morning and then she will make the decision whether to reopen the lake to swimming for the weekend.

Doyle said this is the first time this year the lake has been closed because of a high fecal coliform count. The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April 1 to the end of October.

She said closures at this time of year for a few days is typical. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

“Unfortunately it’s the typical thing that happens in summer in mountain lakes. It could be from children swimming, from geese, deer, even some bear. We’re all downstream from something.”

Day use other than swimming, including fishing, is still allowed at the lake.

The lake receives some 25,000 visitors a year. It is open April through October.

The lake is located on Bent Creek Ranch Road in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. For more information, call the campground office at 828-667-0391.

August 1, 2013

The swim beach at Lake Powhatan, the popular recreation area in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest south of Asheville, is closed again today, said the recreation area’s director.

Lake Powhatan

The lake was closed Saturday, July 27, due to higher than normal bacteria count, said Judy Doyle, director of campground for Cradle of Forestry in American Interpretive Association, which manages the lake and campground. The lake is still open for fishing, as well as camping and picnicking.

Water quality was tested at the lake on Monday and Wednesday, Doyle said.

“While the numbers have dropped, they didn’t drop enough for us to reopen the lake, so today, Thursday, we will need to keep the lake closed,” Doyle said.

“We are retesting today. We should have the results back by noon tomorrow to see if we can open the lake for the weekend.”

Doyle said this is the first time this year the lake has been closed because of a high fecal coliform count. The lake, which received 25,000 visitors last year, is open daily from April 1 to the end of October.

She said closures at this time of year for a few days is typical. When the water levels rise, from all the heavy rain, it tends to wash down human and animal waste into the lake.

“Unfortunately it’s the typical thing that happens in summer in mountain lakes. It could be from children swimming, from geese, deer, even some bear. We’re all downstream from something.”

Day use other than swimming, including fishing, is still allowed at the lake.

The lake receives some 25,000 visitors a year. It is open April through October.

Karen Chavez and her dog Shelby will take you on their outdoor adventures in one of the greatest outdoor towns in America. They also want to hear about your adventures and answer your outdoor questions.
Contact Karen by email at kchavez@CITIZEN-TIMES.com.